Dispenser



March 30, 1943. G. H. PAcKwooQ-,JR

DISPENSER Filed Feb. 12, 1938 /A/ MEA/roe.

9) MM .1V/.5 if Toen/Ens.

Patented Mar. 30, 1943 UNITED STATES ATENT Aorties 12 Claims. (C

This invention relates to dispensers for powdered soap or other finely divided materials. It has for its principal objects to provide a simple, economical and easily operable dispenser that is strong and durable and that is not likely to get out of repair, that can be readily inspected and relled, that will protect the contents of the dispenser from moisture, that can be adjusted to vary the quantity of material discharged and that can be looked so that the contents thereof can be removed only by the normal dispensing operation. The invention consists in the dispenser and in the construction, combinations and arrangements oi parts hereinafter described and claimed.

Irl the accompanying drawing, which forms part of this specication and wherein like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur,

Fig. 1 is a central vertical section through a dispenser embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the dispenser with the cover removed;

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the pivoted clip which constitutes one of the elementsv of the cover locking device;

lig` 4 is a view similar to Fig. l illustrating a mcdied form of dispenser; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary central vertical section illustrating another modiiied form of the invention.

The dispenser shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3 of the accompanyingdrawing comprises a hollow cylindrical body I whose lower portion 2 tapers downwardly and terminates in a central circular discharge opening 3. Disposed at the center of the hollow body I isv a vertically reciprocable plunger Il. that carries a valve member 5, preferably in the form of a hollow cone whose large or lower end rests upon the downwardly tapering hoppershaped lower end portion 2 of said body around the discharge opening 3, thereby preventing discharge of the material through said opening.

The plunger 4 is raised to lift the valve 5 thereon ofi its seat by means of a lever preferably in the forni of .a rod 5, which extends into the body i through an opening 'I in the side .wall thereof and has its inner end disposed in an opening 8 that extends through said plunger transversely thereof. By this arrangement, when the exposed outer end of the rod ii is depressed, the rod; fulcrums on the bottom of the opening 'l inthe side wall of the body I, thus causing the inner end, of said rod to swing upwardly and raise the plunger 4; therewith, thereby lifting. the valve 5 at the lower end of said plunger off its seat and permitting the material in the body I to be discharged through the discharge opening 3. When the pressure on the exposed end of the rod is released, the valve is returned preferably by gravity to closed position. The vertical dimensions of the rod receiving openings 1 and 8 in the body i 'and plunger li, respectively, are greater than the diameter of the portions oi the rod disposed therein, thereby preventing binding of the rod in said openings and tilting of said plunger. The rod is removably secured in position against endwise removal, preferably by means of cotter pins 9 inserted in holes provided therefor in the rod adjacent to the plunger and the side wall of the dispenser.

Threaded into the upper end of the plunger in axial alinement therewith isa screw Ihaving its upper end guided in a vertical opening Il provided therefor in a cross bar l2=that extends across the hollow body I at' the upper end thereof with its opposite ends screwed or otherwise secured to the side walls thereof. Threaded on this screw is a pair of nuts I3, the upper one of which is adapted to abut against the underside of the cross bar I2 and thus limit the upward movement of the plunger. The upper end of the plunger is held in a central position within the hollow body I by the continuous engagement of the screw It with the hole Il in the cross bar; and the lower end of said plunger is centered in said body by the engagement of the valve 5 with the downwardly converging sides of the hopper portion 2 of said body. The distance that the plunger may be raised depends upon the adjustment of the nuts I3. By removing the screw Iiiv from the plunger through the hole I I in the cross bar, the upper end of said plunger may be swung clear of said bar, thereby permitting the valve to be drawn to the top of the dispenser for cleaning and inspection purposes.

. The upper end of the hollow body I is closed by a removable cover I4 having a central opening t5 which extends vertically therethrough and is enlarged or counterbored, as at ld, intermediate between its upper and lower ends. Mounted in said opening of said cover is a stud II having a collar Ita thereon intermediate between the ends thereof that is disposed in the counterbored portion Ia of said opening. The portion of the stud I6 below the collar Ia thereof is threaded, and the portion of said stud above said collar is shaped for-cooperation with the socket of a suitable key I1 adapted to be inserted in the upper end of the stud supporting hole in the cover. The threaded lower end of the stud I6 is adapted to cooperate with a threaded hole I3 provided therefor in the upwardly oiset middle portion IBa of a clip IS, one end of which is pivoted or otherwise movably secured, as at 20, to the top of the cross bar I2 and the other end of which is bent into the form of a hook 2l adapted to straddle said bar. The clip I 9 is releasably held in this position preferably by means of a boss 22 on the hooked end portion 2l thereof that is adapted to snap into a recess 23 provided therefor in said cross bar I2. With this arrangement, when it is desired to remove the screw Ii) at the upper end of the plunger, the cover is removed by means of the key, and the clip I9 is swung horizontally clear of the screw receiving opening in the top of the cross bar, thereby permitting access to be had to the upper end of the screw through said opening.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4, the plunger has a portion 4a that extends downwardly through the valve and the discharge opening in the hollow body of the container so that the plunger may be raised by pressure on the lower end thereof. The hollow body is provided with an inverted conical false bottom member 2a that has a central discharge opening 3a therein that is spaced above the valve engaging portion of the hopper portion 2 and is adapted to be closed when the plunger is raised. With this arrangement, when the valve is closed, a predetermined amount of material in the hollow body ows through the discharge opening 3a in the false bottom 2a and is trapped in the space or chamber between said false bottom and the hopper portion 2. When `the valve is raised, the material in the trap chamber is discharged therefrom through the discharge opening 3 in the bottom of the dispenser. The amount of material dispensed at a single operation may be varied by adjusting the nuts I3 at lthe upper end of the plunger.

The nuts I3 also function to insure that the plunger 4 will strike the bar I2, which gives an agitation that tends to break up packing of the material in the dispenser. In the type of Fig. 1 this agitation is assured because the only stop for upward travel of the plunger is the cross bar I2. However in the type of Fig. 4, the valve member 5 could strike the false bottom 2a before the plunger nuts I3 struck the cross bar, were it not that the nuts can be adjusted to accommodate for irregularities that may occur in the spacing o-f the opening 3a and the cross bar. Furthermore, in a dispenser of this type, having the sharply conical valve, it is not essential that the conical portion actually engage the edges of the opening 3a to cause stoppage of now. The annular orifice around the valve becomes increasingly smaller as the valve is lifted, so that in the latter part of the valves travel, the orice is so narrow that the material will be checked by its packing at theorice. This permits more freedom in adjustment of the nuts I 3 to insure agitation, and at the same time limits the amount of discharge to the quantity flowing through the opening 3a when the valve is down.

Upon release of the handle 6 or 4a after an operation, the plunger and valve drop by their weight, coupled with the weight of the soap acting downwardly, so that the valve 5 reseats on the member 2 with a sudden stop, again producing an agitating effect at the bottom of the bowl.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5, the plunger 4b is of smaller diameter than the plungers flow therethrough,

hereinbefore described and has a reduced upper end portion Ilia. forming a shoulder 24 upon which is seated a washer 25. The reduced upper end portion Ia. of the plunger is guided within a vertical opening Ha provided therefor in a cross bar I2a mounted in the container body Ia. A coil compression spring 2t is sleeved on the reduced upper end portion Ita, of the plunger between the washer 25 thereon and the cross bar I2a so as to insure seating of the valve carried by said plunger. Upward movement of the plunger is limited by an adjustable stop, preferably in the form of a screw 27 that is threaded vertically through the cross bar I2a in position to be engaged by the washer 25 when the plunger is raised to lift the valve off its seat.

Obviously, numerous changes may be made without 'departing from the invention. Therefore, I do not Wish to be limited to the precise construction shown.

What I claim is:

1. A dispenser comprising a hollow body having a bottom portion with a central opening therein, a vertical plunger mounted in said body and having a valve thereon adapted to cooperate with said bottom portion around said opening to control flow therethrough, said plunger and said container having opposed openings in the sides thereof, and a lever fulcrumed on the lower edge ofthe opening in said container and extending into the opening in said plunger.

2. A dispenser comprising a hollow body having a bottom portion with a central opening therein, a vertical plunger mounted in said body and having a valve thereon adapted to cooperate with said bottom portion around said opening to control said plunger and said container having opposed horizontal openings therein, a rod fulcrumed in the opening in said container and extending into the opening in said plunger, and means removably secured to said rod for preventing endwise withdrawal thereof from said openings.

3. A dispenser comprising a hollow body having a bottom portion with a central opening therein, a vertical plunger mounted in said body and having a valve thereon adapted to cooperate with said bottom portion around said opening to control flow therethrough, a stop for the upper end of said plunger, and means for varying the distance that the plunger may be raised without changing the limit of downward travel of said plunger, said means comprising a nut on said end of said plunger in position to abut against the underside of said stop.

4. A dispenser comprising a hollow body having a bottom portion with a central opening therein, a vertical plunger mounted in said body and having a valve thereon adapted to cooperate with upper end of said plunger, and a nut on said screw in position to abut against the underside of said stop.

5. A dispenser comprising a hollow body having a bottom portion with a central opening therein, a vertical plunger mounted in said body and having a valve ythereon adapted .to cooperate with said bottom portion around said opening to control iiow therethrough, a screw threaded axially into the upper end of said plunger, a nut on said screw and a cross member fixed to said body in position to be engaged on its underside by said nut in the raised position of said plunger, said cross member having a hole therein adapted to receive and guide the upper end of said screw.

6. A dispenser for finely divided material comprising a hollow body having a bottom portion with a central discharge opening therein, a vertical plunger mounted in said body and having a valve thereon for controlling the flow of said material through said discharge opening, a screw threaded axially into the upper end of said plunger, a nut on said screw, a stop member fixed to said dispenser in position to be engaged by said nu-t in the raised position of said plunger, said stop member having a hole therein adapted to receive and guide Athe upper end of said screw, a cover for said container, and a locking device for said cover including a threaded stud mounted in said cover in axial alinement with said screw guiding hole and a clip having a portion overhanging said hole with a threaded hole therein adapted to receive said stud.

'7. A dispenser comprising a hollow body having a central opening in the tical plunger mounted in said body and having a valve .thereon for said opening, a screw threaded axially into the upper end of said plunger, a nut on said screw and a cross member Xe-d to said dispenser in position to be engaged by said nut in the raised position of said plunger, said stop member having a hole therein adapted to receive and guide the upper end of said screw, a cover for said container, and a locking device for said cover including a threaded stud mounted in said cover in axial alinement with said screw receiving hole and a clip having a portion overhanging said hole with a threaded hole therein adapted to receive said stud, said clip being adapted to be moved clear of said hole whereby access may be had -to the screw therein.

8. A dispenser comprising a hollow body having a discharge opening in the bottom thereof. a vertical plunger reciprocable in said body and having a valve thereon i or opening and closing said opening when the plunger is reciprocated, guide means in said body for said plunger, and an adjustable stop means for limiting the upward travel of said plunger, said adjustable stop means including a striking member on the hollow body in the path of the plunger to agitate the material when it is reciprocated, and an adjustment device between the plunger and the striking member to vary the distance between them.

9. In a dispenser, a hollow body member, a closure for the body, a valve within the member, adjustable means in the body member to limit movement of the valve, and means normallyto cover the said means in the body member to prevent the adjustment, said last-named means being removable, upon removal of the closure from the body to render the adjustable means accessible.

10. In a dispenser, a hollow body member, a closure for the body member, a bracket in the member and means attaching the closure by enand which the plunger will strike bottom thereof, a vergagement with the bracket, discharge means, means to adjust the discharge means, said lastnamed means being beneath the bracket, and means supporting the bracket for displacement, upon removal of the attaching means, to render the adjusting means accessible.

11. In a dispenser for nely divided materials subject to cohesion, and the like, a hollow body having two bottom openings therein, one spaced above the other, a valve having a first portion at least as large as the iirst opening, and adapted to occupy a predetermined first position in which it checks the material against flow through said rst opening, a second portion on the valve sloping upwardly and inwardly toward said second opening, means to reciprocate the valve from said predetermined first position in which the first portion of the valve checks ilow through the rst opening to a position in which flow through said opening occurs, the second portion of `the valve being adapted to enter the second opening upon reciprocation of the valve toward said second position, and to ll said opening in amounts increasing with increased reciprocation toward said second position, striker means in the hollow body including a striker member secured to the hollow body and a member on the valve to abut said striker member as the Valve is reciprocated, to agitate the contents of the hollow body, means to adjust the striker means to adjust the amount of reciprocation of the valve from said first position without interfering with the agitation, said adjustment varying the degree of occupation of the second opening by the second portion of the valve, and said second portion being so sloped that during the latter part of the reciprocation Stroke it substantially fills the second opening to prevent flow of material therethrough regardless of the variations by adjustment.

12. In a vdispenser for finely divided materials subject to cohesion, and the like, a hollow body having two bottom openings therein spaced one above the other, a valve having a iirst portion adapted to seat against the body portion and to close the first opening, the seating limiting the stroke of the valve in one direction, means to reciprocate the valve from said closing position to a position wherein the rst portion of the valve opens said first opening, striker means to limit the opening movement of the valve and to agitate the contents of the hollow body, said striker means including a striker member in and secured to the hollow body, an abutment member on the valve to engage the striker member, and means to adjust the striker means to vary the limit of the stroke in the opening direction, and a second portion on the valve adapted to enter the second opening, said second portion sloping inwardly and in the direction of the stroke, and the slope being such that during the latter part of the stroke the said second portion at least substantially fills the second opening so as to prevent egress of material therethrough, and to constitute a closure for said second opening regardless of said adjustment of the opening limit of the stroke.

GEORGE H. PACKWOOD, JR. 

